Red Sox fortify starting rotation, add Nathan Eovaldi from Rays

The Boston Red Sox have added another arm to their already very good starting rotation, trading with the Tampa Bay Rays for right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to report the trade. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan confirmed the move:

Eovaldi helps a depleted Red Sox rotation

Red Sox starters have been very good so far this season, posting a 3.66 ERA, good for fifth in MLB. But with both Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez on the DL, the Red Sox felt the need to bolster their rotation even further, and Eovaldi, 28, proved to be the answer.

Eovaldi is 3-4 this year with a 4.28 ERA and .982 WHIP this year. He missed all of 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In his debut this year, he threw six no-hit innings against Oakland on May 30. It was his first game since August 10, 2016.

Eovaldi’s best year came in 2015 when he went 14-3 with a 4.20 ERA for the Yankees. He also posted a 3.39 ERA in 2013 with the Marlins but went just 4-6. Eovaldi throws a high-90s fastball and was a highly sought-after trade deadline piece.

The Red Sox are an MLB-best 71-32.

The Rays get LHP Jalen Beeks

In return for Eovaldi, the Red Sox sent LHP Jalen Beeks to Tampa Bay.

Jalen Beeks is a big-time pop-up guy who has killed the International League this year with 117 strikeouts in 87.1 IP. He's a short lefty, but his stuff plays up. An awfully good return for the $3M or so the Rays spent on Nate Eovaldi the last two seasons.